Career dilemma

i'm in my late 20s, graduated from Engr. faculty in 2006 (not computer/electrical engr) though, with a flare for IT that begun since the early 2000s. To cut the long story short, this is a synopsis of my career thus far:

Studied and gained knowledge in web design/PHP development, microsoft OS,hardware troubleshooting and general IT skills etc on my own before finishing university.

worked in a small telco, well big telco making small money, as an executive assistant - applications development, general IT support (staff/customer), as well as Microsoft windows server admin assistant. certifications - OCA, duration 2yrs+

Moved to an ISP, where my windows server skils came in handy. i later picked up cisco and became quite good with R & S, IP design etc - (small pay). certifications - MCP,MCTS,MCITP,CCNA,CCNP, duration - 3yrs+

I am presently in a specialized IT services firm (Better Pay)(multi-national), where i have picked up useful UNIX skills. i have come to fall in love with the ease at which complex tasks are done on the fly with UNIX - Solaris to be precise.

6months into my present employment, i am getting bored. Partly because it the job is part IT, part boring Business meetings.
Now this is my dilemma:

i have a few IT skills i want to build upon:

Cisco: i want to do CCIE written, then do a design certification before going for my CCIE lab
UNIX: Already 80% done with studying Solaris 10 (I use it everyday on the Job)
VMWARE: (Virtualization)already have all the video materials for VCP5 but cant write the exam because i need to attend an instructor lead course that would cost $5k
NETAPPStorage) I have all the materials for Data ONTAP, yet to begin studying
Citrix: Materials available too

Now, i am thinking that i may be crazy for wanting to do all these. i love to learn and i want to improve my future chances in the IT industry, being that the trend is towards the Cloud i.e datacenter technologies. Money is a factor too, as i want to be able to live the good life (The Nigerian Dream - lol).

PS: i have a genuine love for Networking, but while listening to a tech podcast, the anchor said part of what he has learnt being a consultant/CCIE, is that employers beleive you can solve any problem they throw @ you. Not necessarily on the fly, but you should at least know the direction to point to in order to get things sorted.

So i need to know what you guys think? should i just concentrate on a niche area? or am not mad afterall for wanting to learn all of this.
(tired of typing)

you seem to have answered your own question on the other Oracle thread.

yamakuza: you seem to have answered your own question on the other Oracle thread.

This things are mentally consuming! maybe with age,I'm trying to go easy on myself>>

I'm yet to decide though.

i have a few IT skills i want to build upon:

Cisco: i want to do CCIE written, then do a design certification before going for my CCIE lab

the CCIE Written isnt really a certification, and you have to take the labs 18 months after, no?

why not do the CCDA first? [s]or go for the CCDE? its greater than the CCIE.[/s] just saying ...

UNIX: Already 80% done with studying Solaris 10 (I use it everyday on the Job)
VMWARE: (Virtualization)already have all the video materials for VCP5 but cant write the exam because i need to attend an instructor lead course that would cost $5k
NETAPPStorage) I have all the materials for Data ONTAP, yet to begin studying
Citrix: Materials available too

if the $5k for VMWare is going to be an issue, why not take the alternative exams from MSFT or HP-UX? at least till you have the $5k.

remember its what you know or can do that matters, not how many certs you have, or which vendor they are from ...

mikkybrick:
This things are mentally consuming! maybe with age,I'm trying to go easy on myself>>

I'm yet to decide though.

So i need to know what you guys think? should i just concentrate on a niche area? or am not mad afterall for wanting to learn all of this.
(tired of typing)

no, you are not mad. learn as much as you can, while you can ...

Thanks Yamakuza..
first: CCIE Written is a theoretical evaluation of your knowledge of the cicso IOS, and yes, you must do the lab within 18months. There are cisco mobile labs twice in a year in Naija, so if adequately prepared i can schedule it.
HAAA..for you to do CCDE, you have to be a fully qualified CCIE first. The design certificate i want to do is the CCDP, of which the CCIE written or CCDA are the pre-requisite exams. i will save money by avoiding going through the CCDA route.
Vendors are quite important in the business e.g in production and large enterprise environments, you're more likely to see Vmware than Citrix, or microsoft Hyper-V. These Vmware competitors - citrix, microsoft,HP et al are more suitable for small/mid enterprises.

I'm not concerned about the certificates per-se, it's just a way of documenting my knowledge in these areas. The certificates will get me to the door, then i have to prove my worth so i can be ushered in. I'll learn the vmware VCP5, but i have to find another way of demonstrating my knowledge in that area since my current job doesnt give me that exposure.
For Netapp, i just got a simulator, I'm still considering that...

mikkybrick: Thanks Yamakuza..
first: CCIE Written is a theoretical evaluation of your knowledge of the cicso IOS, and yes, you must do the lab within 18months. There are cisco mobile labs twice in a year in Naija, so if adequately prepared i can schedule it.
HAAA..for you to do CCDE, you have to be a fully qualified CCIE first.

last time i checked, i thought one could also do CCDE straight up, no prerequisites (like CCIE). i must have read it upside down

The design certificate i want to do is the CCDP, of which the CCIE written or CCDA are the pre-requisite exams. i will save money by avoiding going through the CCDA route.

since you are aiming for the CCDP and are sure you can also take the CCIE lab within 18 months, the Written exam makes a lot of sense then

Vendors are quite important in the business e.g in production and large enterprise environments, you're more likely to see Vmware than Citrix, or microsoft Hyper-V. These Vmware competitors - citrix, microsoft,HP et al are more suitable for small/mid enterprises.

as long as you can use the software/technology, i dont think the particular cert you have or dont have matters. thats just me sha

pending the time the $5k shows

I'm not concerned about the certificates per-se, it's just a way of documenting my knowledge in these areas. The certificates will get me to the door, then i have to prove my worth so i can be ushered in. I'll learn the vmware VCP5, but i have to find another way of demonstrating my knowledge in that area since my current job doesnt give me that exposure.
For Netapp, i just got a simulator, I'm still considering that...

like i said earlier, u already have it all figured out !

The OP should calm down. He just wants to do everything.
Maybe he wants to teach at APTECH

OP: you can't do it all.

You need to start developing in-depth expertise in a particular field. When you focus on one subject area, you won't move around as much as you are.

Don't become "jack of all trades, master of none."

AjanleKoko: The OP should calm down. He just wants to do everything.
Maybe he wants to teach at APTECH

lol, Aptech no fit pay d kain money wey i dey find o! i just love to learn!

obowunmi: OP: you can't do it all.

You need to start developing in-depth expertise in a particular field. When you focus on one subject area, you won't move around as much as you are.

Don't become "jack of all trades, master of none."

My aim is the datacenter and progressing into consulting - this comprises of networking, storage and virtualization. i hope u see what i'm aiming for! I listen to podcasts of networking/technology nerds and if you read the penultimate paragraph in my original post, you'd be enlightened as to what is expected of you @ dat level. Am not talking about the regular 9-5 employee...i'm talking about solution champions in cisco speak

mikkybrick:
My aim is the datacenter and progressing into consulting - this comprises of networking, storage and virtualization. i hope u see what i'm aiming for! I listen to podcasts of networking/technology nerds and if you read the penultimate paragraph in my original post, you'd be enlightened as to what is expected of you @ dat level. Am not talking about the regular 9-5 employee...i'm talking about solution champions in cisco speak

What you need, really, is a good job that will give the right kind of exposure. Send your CV to IBM, Microsoft, Google.
In fact, send me your CV. Send me a PM.

You have more than enough certifications to get a decent job. And don't knock teaching at Aptech; it's kind of like teaching at university. You'll learn a lot in a lab environment, and by teaching others. Industry will narrow your focus to whatever your job role is.

AjanleKoko:

What you need, really, is a good job that will give the right kind of exposure. Send your CV to IBM, Microsoft, Google.
In fact, send me your CV. Send me a PM.

You have more than enough certifications to get a decent job. And don't knock teaching at Aptech; it's kind of like teaching at university. You'll learn a lot in a lab environment, and by teaching others. Industry will narrow your focus to whatever your job role is.

Thanks AJ, you've got mail!

@Mikkybrick

I feel you but the truth is, you cant learn everything. If you want to learn all this. You'll have to move from one company to another that uses different technology. As for Vmware. if you could explain what u meant by u need to pay $5000 for instruction led course as i know someone who did the exam and i don't think he spent that much.

I dont know if you have small budget to buy server. That's what i did. Bought a server and install Vsphere the free version on it and i could run virtualization and at the same time learn server and exchange on it.once you want to go into stuff like DRS and Vmotion,change your license to 60 day evaluation and play with it. Why i say this is to improve your troubleshooting skill in your lab environment as thing are bound to screw up when setting them up.

As for certifications, I wont advice you to do certifications up to the final stage till you are sure you will use it at work. If you dont use them after a while, you will forget.The basics of each of them is fine so its shows you are exposed to this technology.ts Nigeria that is so obsessed with Certifications. In most countries, its your experience that matters a lot and your exposure.i use to read some job opening in Naija and i will see about 15 certifications.




In General, i love your zeal men and i know its difficult in Nigeria but just keep pushing.If you feel you good enough start your own company. You could just master one aspect of technology that is not that rampart in Nigeria and you can make a living of it if you can proove its worth to an organization

Wow!
@sky-walker, many thanks. really insightful.

the below is culled from : www_cert">http://mylearn.vmware.com/mgrReg/plan.cfm?plan=12457&ui=www_cert
VMware Certified Professional – Datacenter Virtualization (on vSphere 5)

Become a VCP5-DV

There are different paths to VCP5-DV certification based on your background. Choose your path and complete the three core validation components:

Attend a qualifying VMware authorized course. - this is the one that costs about $5k
Gain hands-on experience with VMware vSphere 5.
Pass the VCP5-DV Exam

It depends on you.i would say you dont need to do the exam if you dont have the funds now. You can play with it and create a lab and understand it. Once you go for your interview, you can defend it. I work with Vsphere 5,Server and exchange and i only have CCNA,CWNA and active directory.I learnt everything myself.CWNA is not even being used at all. The truth is,you have the tutorials. have a general knowledge of all of them, when you move to another company and see other technologies,you can build on your basic knowledge. There is no point in you specializing in different technologies when you not going to use them

@sky-walker
I already made up my mind since not to write the VMWare exam, but to get the knowledge. Usually, it's the individual's company that arranges and pays d fees for the qualifying VMware authorized course in order for their staff to be VMWare certified.

As per the others, i'll work on consolidating and solidifying my skills. It's just painful that there's a limit to what one can do with GNS3 for cisco labs e.g for Emulating Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE, Multilayer switching et al. I'll stick to my plan for cisco - (1)written (2)design.

I guess less socializing and more Labbing is way to go

mikkybrick: @sky-walker
I already made up my mind since not to write the VMWare exam, but to get the knowledge. Usually, it's the individual's company that arranges and pays d fees for the qualifying VMware authorized course in order for their staff to be VMWare certified.

As per the others, i'll work on consolidating and solidifying my skills. It's just painful that there's a limit to what one can do with GNS3 for cisco labs e.g for Emulating Cisco IOS-XR and IOS-XE, Multilayer switching et al. I'll stick to my plan for cisco - (1)written (2)design.

I guess less socializing and more Labbing is way to go

You right about Simulations. I started with simulators for cisco and when i got to the real world, its different and i was able to develop myself in Vmware and microsoft because i have servers at home i can configure for lab. I left cisco due to not having enough device to play with although the knowledge of networking helped me in others. Seriously, i will advice if you can get equipments, that will be nice.

Lastly, i think its Nigeria that is more into Cisco a lot. Lots of companies just use Cisco router for thier gateway and use cheapers vendors like netgear which are easy to configure and easily replacable. Unless you want to be a cisco architect, going as far as CCIE is way to over in my own opinion. Most companies now are moving into Microsoft, Vmware, Citrix which is not yet common in Naija. I feel if you go into Vmware and Citrix, you will have better chance because last i heard, almost everybody is cisco certified in Nigeria. You got to find what make you different and since you can do lab work at home with Vmware ,citrix and microsoft, i will suggest you go more into that but also still expand more on Cisco.especially troubleshooting cuz that where IT staffs are needed, For Cisco Designs, people go for IT pro with vast knowledge and experience in the field and its all this big multinationals that can afford all cisco devices.

@Skywalker, i have vast experience with real life cisco gear at a production network level, as i was formerly a network administrator @ a leading ISP in Lagos. I had previously designed IP WAN networks for our abuja,kaduna,kano,ilorin,ph locations.So cisco, network design etc are not new to me. It's like my natural turf. So even if i practice with GNS3 emulator (note emulator, not simulator)i have the real world look and feel.

I know what you mean about it's nigeria that are more into cisco, but if that is true, CISCO wouldn't be market leaders in routing and switching. In Enterprise environments in Nigeria, your assertion is half-true - just 1 cisco router @ d core, and maybe HP,netgear switch at the access and distribution layers etc. They are the ones big on the likes of VMWare, CyberRoam, citrix and microsoft.
In Production environments however (Service Providers, Telcos,Datacenters), there's a huge cisco ecosystem ranging from their routing and switching gear, to UCS(Unified Computing systems), (MDS)Fibre channel San switch, Fabric interconnects&extenders etc. VMWare, citrix and microsoft are huge too on the Datacenter/Cloud side of things of production environments.

I'll certainly do my VMWare & Citrix because they are also germane to my future plans - and as you rightly pointed out, they're easier to learn/lab.
Looks like i'll still have to do everything, i just have to find the right balance and schedule my timing too.

Thanks Sky-walker

In regards to what i said about cisco. what i meant is only one cisco router, and the switches are other cheaper vendors.I have hardly seen companies that stack up their network devices with just Cisco products apart from multinationals that have big budget for their IT department. In my Organization, we use just 1 Cisco router and the remaining switches are netgear.

@Sky-walker:
True for Organizations whose core need for networking infrastructure isnt more than providing internet and network connectivity to staff.

I think i understand your career path. You are more interested in telecommunications companies or ISP companies. Then i think you fine with Cisco and Linux.

I dont know how it works in Nigeria but telecomms and ISP companies dont provide services related to citrix and vmware or even Microsoft. its most IT support companies that do that mostly here in UK that do the setup for SME companies. They might use it inhouse but not to providing services customers.

I dont work for ISP or telecoms as i know their stuffs are heavily on Cisco. I work for a SME company providing service inhouse for thier servers

@Sky-walker: Cool! I guess we're on the same page now!

Are ISP AND Telecoms providing Vmware and citrix services in Nigeria?

Yes and Nope. Yes on a minuscule scale, But mostly for their internal use. E.g MTN,Airtel n co building DR sites around lagos and planning on implementing BYOD for employees(utilizing Virtual Desktop). Certain companies (referred to as System integrators e.g PPC, Weco,Resourcery)are certified partners with Microsoft,VMWare,Cisco,NetApp etc. These companies purchase,execute, deploy adn sometimes manage these technologies on a large scale in Enterprises and Government agencies. These kinda companies are in my LOS too!

I don't know if you've heard that MTN has just lunched an Application in the cloud (XaaS) - software for Microfinance banks. There are much more coming. I'm privy to information that another Nigerian Telco is seriously seeking to enter the cloud services space in Nigeria. These guys already have the financial muscle, communication infrastructure(fibre connectivity et al) and Data center to install.

Other multinationals(I wont name the companies) are thinking of building Cloud services data centers in Nigeria or partnering with Telcos, with DR sites in other parts of the world. The world around us is changing, how we conduct business is also changing, Nigeria isn't going to be left out!

mikkybrick: Yes and Nope. Yes on a minuscule scale, But mostly for their internal use. E.g MTN,Airtel n co building DR sites around lagos and planning on implementing BYOD for employees(utilizing Virtual Desktop). Certain companies (referred to as System integrators e.g PPC, Weco,Resourcery)are certified partners with Microsoft,VMWare,Cisco,NetApp etc. These companies purchase,execute, deploy adn sometimes manage these technologies on a large scale in Enterprises and Government agencies. These kinda companies are in my LOS too!

I don't know if you've heard that MTN has just lunched an Application in the cloud (XaaS) - software for Microfinance banks. There are much more coming. I'm privy to information that another Nigerian Telco is seriously seeking to enter the cloud services space in Nigeria. These guys already have the financial muscle, communication infrastructure(fibre connectivity et al) and Data center to install.

Other multinationals(I wont name the companies) are thinking of building Cloud services data centers in Nigeria or partnering with Telcos, with DR sites in other parts of the world. The world around us is changing, how we conduct business is also changing, Nigeria isn't going to be left out!

Since you know all of these things, why are you concerned about your future?

mikkybrick: Yes and Nope. Yes on a minuscule scale, But mostly for their internal use. E.g MTN,Airtel n co building DR sites around lagos and planning on implementing BYOD for employees(utilizing Virtual Desktop). Certain companies (referred to as System integrators e.g PPC, Weco,Resourcery)are certified partners with Microsoft,VMWare,Cisco,NetApp etc. These companies purchase,execute, deploy adn sometimes manage these technologies on a large scale in Enterprises and Government agencies. These kinda companies are in my LOS too!

I don't know if you've heard that MTN has just lunched an Application in the cloud (XaaS) - software for Microfinance banks. There are much more coming. I'm privy to information that another Nigerian Telco is seriously seeking to enter the cloud services space in Nigeria. These guys already have the financial muscle, communication infrastructure(fibre connectivity et al) and Data center to install.

Other multinationals(I wont name the companies) are thinking of building Cloud services data centers in Nigeria or partnering with Telcos, with DR sites in other parts of the world. The world around us is changing, how we conduct business is also changing, Nigeria isn't going to be left out!

Cloud services in Naija? how do they cope with bandwidth? I am really enjoying having this conversation as i have tried trying to understand technology in Nigeria and talk to IT pros in Naija but everyone is all about Cisco. Are this technologies available to Small to medium enterprise companies? or its just the big companies still running it?

Sky-walker:


Cloud services in Naija? how do they cope with bandwidth? I am really enjoying having this conversation as i have tried trying to understand technology in Nigeria and talk to IT pros in Naija but everyone is all about Cisco. Are this technologies available to Small to medium enterprise companies? or its just the big companies still running it?

Huawei is building a data center in Lagos. They plan to connect to all the operators via fiber and offer hosted services.
Interconnect ClearingHouse (ICN) also offers hosting + connectivity to operators.

A couple of other projects are also going on. Main One is also working on something.

AjanleKoko:

Since you know all of these things, why are you concerned about your future?

That was part of the aim of opening this thread. It pays to talk about stuff as it engenders better understanding. By replying to some of the posts (mostly by skywalker), I'm better understanding my situation and answering my own question. I guess Things are in proper perspective to me now as opposed to when i opened this thread, as i would say - overwhelmed with information and piecing together the puzzle.

Sky-walker:


Cloud services in Naija? how do they cope with bandwidth? I am really enjoying having this conversation as i have tried trying to understand technology in Nigeria and talk to IT pros in Naija but everyone is all about Cisco. Are this technologies available to Small to medium enterprise companies? or its just the big companies still running it?

Yes O! Nigeria has bandwidth. Our problem is with the "Last Mile" to the consumer. Only big companies for now can pay for fibre optic last-miles, but depending on the service being rendered, low bandwidth and less "chatty" services would be made available. I believe all these will be catered for with time. Micro-finance banks could be considered Medium scale enterprises right? If i'm right, then i'll say MTN is already catering for SMEs.

mikkybrick:


Yes O! Nigeria has bandwidth. Our problem is with the "Last Mile" to the consumer. Only big companies for now can pay for fibre optic last-miles, but depending on the service being rendered, low bandwidth and less "chatty" services would be made available. I believe all these will be catered for with time. Micro-finance banks could be considered Medium scale enterprises right? If i'm right, then i'll say MTN is already catering for SMEs.

This is seriously new to me. glad to know as i had a chat with a guy who as looking for a cloud backup for his organization only for him to tell me he receives 1mbps for upload speed.i told him to forget it. Like you said Big companies are the ones that can afford it.Yea Micro finance can be classed as that.Since you are in the field and you know more into microsoft and Vmware, how is the IT situation in Nigeria? Are there lots of companies using servers,exchange,Vmware, backup, Vpn and stuff like that or is it still restricted to the big boys? Are there any IT support companies in Naija that provide support to companies for the IT projects and stuff. I have been trying to find this information a while.Do IT guys get paid well in this fields? excluding the Cisco CCIE guys.

Sky-walker:


This is seriously new to me. glad to know as i had a chat with a guy who as looking for a cloud backup for his organization only for him to tell me he receives 1mbps for upload speed.i told him to forget it. Like you said Big companies are the ones that can afford it.Yea Micro finance can be classed as that.Since you are in the field and you know more into microsoft and Vmware, how is the IT situation in Nigeria? Are there lots of companies using servers,exchange,Vmware, backup, Vpn and stuff like that [/b]or is it still restricted to the big boys?[b] Are there any IT support companies in Naija that provide support to companies for the IT projects and stuff. I have been trying to find this information a while.Do IT guys get paid well in this fields? excluding the Cisco CCIE guys.

My bro skywalker, i can see you're trying to do a survey of the IT business climate in naija. the answer to the bolded in ur post is YES. The IT companies are the system integrators/partners i mentioned in my earlier post. and to be a partner, you know a good portion of your staff have to be certified in their products. I'm talking about procurements/deployments running into hundreds of million of dollars. And they pay their pre-sales guys OK depending on level, solutions architects and solutions champions are paid huge sums.
Mostly the clients are the Government agencies e.g CBN, or the large comapnies - oil/gas companies, large telcos, multinationals etc. There's no serious business catering for SMEs yet aside from what MTN is cooking up.

see a typical Job description posted June20th.Justifies my earlier assertion.

mikkybrick:
lol, Aptech no fit pay d kain money wey i dey find o! i just love to learn!

My aim is the datacenter and progressing into consulting - this comprises of networking, storage and virtualization. i hope u see what i'm aiming for! I listen to podcasts of networking/technology nerds and if you read the penultimate paragraph in my original post, you'd be enlightened as to what is expected of you @ dat level. Am not talking about the regular 9-5 employee...i'm talking about solution champions in cisco speak

ogedanny:
Job Description

CWG requires the services of VCE Expert.
A Data Center and Network professional with at least six years experience in networking, virtualization and storage. Preferably from a Service Provider background, He or She should have over 3 years of implementation and migration experience with VMware technologies. He or She must also have designed and built large data center using EMC and Cisco products.
He or She must be able to effectively manage converged environment deployments and their day-to-day operations in a demanding market.

Consulting experience involving solution design and presentation to C-level executives will be an added advantage.
Desired Skills & Experience

Requiste Skills:

1. Data center Management and Administration
Experience in documentation of operating procedures and best practices for day-to-day and adhoc operations. Responsible for maintaining service levels and troubleshooting performance issues. Mentored junior team members.
2. Vblock
Experienced in implementing many Vblock elements including Cisco UCS, VMware vSphere 4/5.x, EMC CLARiiON, EMC Celerra, EMC VNX, EMC UIM, Nexus switches etc
3. Network
Significant experience with managing large LAN and MAN networks, particularly in heterogeneous environments including Brocade, Cisco, Juniper, Fortinet and F5. Knowledgeable in cross-platform management, using tools such as SolarWinds Orion for both monitoring and chargeback.
4. Compute
Led design and integration of several Cisco UCS platforms, including physical installation and configuration ready for service, and performed day-to-day management/upgrades as necessary.
5. Virtualization
Managed dual-cluster VMware ESXi (4.x & 5.x) environment comprising 150+ VMs day-to-day and experienced in troubleshooting network & storage related issues. Some experience of VMware vCloud Director & View 4.5 in a lab environment.
6. Storage
Deployed and managed Celerra/CLARiiON unified systems in production, including provisioning, replication and maintenance tasks.

Certifications (At least 4):
EMC Proven Professional
VMware Certified Professional
Cisco Certified Certifications
Brocade Certifications
Project Management Certifications
ToGAF

Datacenter jobs are cool. How do guys in Nigeria sharpen thier IT skills apart from watching Video tutorials ? Do you have a lab at home which you practice with?

Cisco: purchasing actual gear or using simulators.
Netapp: simulator
VMWare: hands on practice on a machine with minimum 6-8Gb RAM

Some peeps actually work in environments that have individual or All of these technologies in production. Interaction and networking with the professionals in these fields are invaluable.